1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a starter for starting an engine of a motor vehicle.
2. Related Art
Among conventional starters there are those wherein the rotation of a motor is transmitted through a pinion to a ring gear as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,941,698 or No. 2,342, 632. In the former, a starter wherein by causing a regulating member to abut with the outer circumferential portion of the pinion, by means of the rotation of a shaft rotated by a motor, by friction between the regulating member and the pinion, the pinion is advanced to the ring gear side and the pinion and the ring gear are caused to mesh is mentioned. In the starter of the latter, by causing a pin of a regulating member to engage with a tooth portion of the pinion, the pinion is prevented from rotating, the pinion is caused to advance to the ring gear side, and the pinion and the ring gear are caused to mesh.
However, when the pinion is caused to mesh with the ring gear side, when the pinion does not mesh with the ring gear and the ring gear abuts with the end surface of the pinion, in conventional starters, although further rotational force of the motor causes the pinion to overcome the friction between the regulating member and the pinion and rotate slightly and the pinion meshes with the ring gear, because frictional force is used, there are problems such as setting of the initial frictional force and that abrasion powder adheres to the sliding surfaces and consequently the durability is poor.
Also, in the latter conventional technology, when the ring gear abuts with the end surface of the pinion, there is the problem that the regulating member suddenly moving through the pitch of the tooth portion of the pinion causes an impact between the pinion and the ring gear, and another constituent member such as a spring is necessary so that the regulating member passes over the tooth peaks of the pinion.